Monthly Archives: December 2018

Augmented (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are becoming more commonly used in our classrooms, with many new tools being added that promote more authentic and immersive learning experiences for students. As educators, we should welcome these unique tools because they can help with designing more authentic and innovative learning spaces, and are a means to transform “how” students are learning. We can take students on virtual trips and really open a world of opportunities for them to explore.

Why use AR and VR? These tools enable educators to provide powerful opportunities for students to do more than learn through videos or photos. Students can closely explore objects or places, in ways that the traditional tools of textbooks and videos cannot provide. Students have more control in how they are learning and interacting with the content. Through these augmented and virtual reality tools, we can bring never before possible learning experiences, such as travel and the use of holograms, to our students. These tools make it possible for students to travel anywhere around the world or into outer space even and explore these places more closely. Students can explore what they want and learn in a more immersive way, which helps to engage students more.

4 Tools to Try for AR/VR Explorations

1. Nearpod enables students to experience Virtual Reality through the use of 3D shapes, or go on a Virtual Field Trip powered by 360 cities. Nearpod became beneficial in my Spanish courses, because its immersive capability promotes global knowledge, helps to expand student comprehension of different perspectives and enables students to become immersed in a variety of environments. It has an extensive library of VR lessons ready for free download as well as additional ones available in the pro account. Using tools like Nearpod can help provide opportunities to really engage students in learning, be active, explore and have multiple options for assessing student learning and receiving timely feedback. Some recent additions to the VR library include College Tours, which are a great way to have students take a look at different colleges they might be interested in, without having to travel the distance to do so. Using these options, students can immerse in the campus and look around more closely, although it is not a complete replacement for being able to physically visit, it gives students the chance to explore many colleges from wherever they are. There are currently 43 different colleges represented in the collection, which include universities such as Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford, Penn State, Tokyo and Vassar to name a few. A fun idea for these VR tours is to have students participate in a scavenger hunt, which will push them to really explore the sites and think through what they are seeing.

2. Google Expeditions is a free tool that teachers can use to take students on a field trip to virtually anywhere. It is an immersive app that can be downloaded using either Google Play or the App Store, that students view using their devices and a Google cardboard or other viewer. There are more than 800 virtual reality tours to choose from and 100 augmented reality tours. Some of the VR tours include famous locations, exploring career paths, and learning about global initiatives. With the recent addition of AR objects, students can now interact more with the objects by walking around and seeing it placed in their physical space. Teachers and students take on the roles of “Guide” and “Explorer” by being connected on the same network. Teachers can lead their explorers by following the script and guiding questions that are included within each tour, and can also opt to have the audio narration used with students as well.

With the augmented reality tours, teachers select the objects and tours to bring into the classroom, and students can then walk around and interact with the object as though it were in the classroom space. During the tours, pictures can point out specific locations or use some of the guiding questions to engage students more and conversation and promote curiosity and learning while they explore in this more immersive learning space.

3. Google Tour Builder is a great way for teachers and even students to be able to create their own tour for use in the classroom or connect with other classrooms globally. Through the creation of an interactive story or tour, students can better understand locations they are studying, explore a place of historical or cultural significance, or even narrate a trip that they have taken. It is easy to create and share a tour. Tours can include images and videos that you upload, as well as images selected from the Google Street View options. The tour can include descriptions and hyperlinks to extend the learning and add more resources for students. Originally Google Tour Builder was created for veterans to record the places where their military service took them and it has become a great tool to use to help people understand different locations and interact with multimedia formats. Students can even create a tour of their town to share with global penpals in order to broaden global connections and cultural awareness.

4. Skype can be a good way to connect classrooms globally and even involve students in problem-solving and critical thinking by using Mystery Skype. There are opportunities to set up a Mystery Skype as well as a Skype session with an expert, by connecting through Microsoft. Using this type of technology to bring in experts and to connect students with other classrooms can really add to the authenticity of the learning experience, and make it more meaningful for students. When students take part in a Mystery Skype, it promotes collaboration with their classmates, critical thinking as they try to uncover where the other classroom is located, problem-solving as they are working through the clues and the responses, and of course it is a fun activity to do that will likely promote social-emotional learning skills as well.

Activities to Engage Students Globally

Think about the tools you are currently using to amplify or facilitate student learning. What is making a difference in how, what and where students learn? Could one of these tools be used in place of something you are already using that only offers one-way interaction or a static image? The use of virtual field trips and augmented reality explorations can engage students more in learning and provide opportunities for them to move from consumers to creators.

Every day brings a new opportunity to implement a new tool or method into the classroom, and what better way than to have students be able to immerse in a learning experience. Augmented and virtual reality are becoming more commonly used in K-12 classrooms and higher ed for this purpose. With the increased focus on and questions surrounding the use of AR and VR tools, educators and parents may be wondering about the benefits for student learning. In a recent report from Common Sense, 62% of the parents surveyed, stated they believe that VR will provide educational experiences, this same belief was shared by 84% of parents surveyed, who have children already using VR. In the recently published book Learning Transported, author Jaime Donally focuses a chapter on the reasons that these tools should be welcomed into our classrooms. Some reasons include more authentic learning, innovative learning spaces and a means to transform how students are learning.

The use of AR and VR is about providing powerful opportunities for students to explore objects or places, in ways that traditional tools such as textbooks and videos cannot provide. It enables students to have more control over how they are learning. It is through these augmented and virtual reality tools and apps that we bring never before possible learning experiences, such as travel and the use of holograms, to students. Students can travel anywhere around the world or outer space even and explore these places more closely, looking at what they want and learning in a more authentic way. It is a truly personalized way to learn and one which serves to engage students more by helping them to drive their learning and exploration.

Even more important than having students be able to immerse in learning by interacting with the content, it is of far greater benefit to move students from being simply consumers to being the creators. With the different educational AR and VR tools now available, we not only afford students the possibility of interacting with these objects as they have been, but we create a more engaging opportunity for them to develop the skills that will benefit them in the future. Learning how to create with these different tools and in some cases, being able to collaborate with their peers on projects, will help students to develop critical 21st-century skills. Students will build their ability to problem-solve, to think critically, and to enhance their creativity in the learning process.

Technology of the Future: Tools to get started with AR and VR in your classroom

With so many different apps available, it can be difficult to figure out where to start. As many wind down the school year, this can be a great opportunity to try one of these tools within your classroom. Students learn how to interact with these tools very quickly, it boosts student engagement, which is something that may be decreasing at this time of the year. Here are two tools and how we used them. They each offer many options for classroom use as well as ready-made examples that can be used to get started.

As a long-standing fan of technology and the endless possibilities, any time I learn about a new tool, I either immediately create an account and try to figure it out on my own or I learn just enough about it to get my students started working on something. In the last couple of years, I’ve come across CoSpacesEDU and Metaverse. I had no idea what to expect other than knowing I would be able to include unique learning experiences for my students, through the use of augmented and virtual reality tools.

So what’s the learning curve with some of these tools? Personally, I am the type of learner who would rather struggle and figure things out on my own first. Only after I have seemingly exhausted all of my efforts, will I then turn to YouTube or the tool’s website for video tutorials, or connect with other educators in a variety of educational communities found on social media.

CoSpaces: Bring a story to life

Two years ago, when I started creating with CoSpacesEDU, a virtual reality platform, I was immediately amazed at the possibilities for creating my own virtual reality space. Initially, there was a bit of a learning curve, but I was determined to work through it on my own. The benefit is that by allowing myself to push through the challenges I encountered, it helped me to better understand some areas that might require me to step in and help my students as they created their own space. I wanted to be prepared for their questions, and be able to help some, but not too much, as it is important for students to learn to problem solve and develop these skills on their own.

In prior years, students in Spanish II would narrate their childhood by creating a drawing and writing a story below their illustration. Authentic work such as this helps students to connect more to the content and it is a great way for teachers to learn more about students. However, this year, I wanted to take a different approach and decided to try CoSpacesEDU, with my Spanish II classes. I thought it would be a fun way to create a story and then be able to use headsets to walk through the spaces they created.

I started by grouping students randomly, having them select from chapter vocabulary cards, and then using the newer “Collaborate” feature of CoSpaces EDU, to have them create their story together. Students can now be placed in groups and collaborate on one project. Students began creating their spaces, adding in objects, animations and sound, using Blockly to code and more. They were amazed at the ability to collaborate in the same space and see objects moving on each of their screens. They worked as a team to create amazing, memorable stories that help them to meaningfully practice the content, narrate a story and have fun while learning.

We know that using technology just for the sake of using it does not make sense. However using technology that enables students to create, collaborate, problem-solve and be curious in learning, leads to more motivation and student engagement. It was a risk to do this, but one which had tremendous benefits for all of us “learners” in the classroom.

MetaverseApp

Metaverse enables the user to create an “experience” which includes activities and different features, for augmented and virtual reality. Creating with Metaverse offers students immersive ways to interact with the content. It can be rather simple to get started, as Metaverse has a library full of helpful tutorial videos and they are also available through the chat feature within the platform. Metaverse can be used to create an immersive, interactive learning “experience”, where students have so many choices in design, libraries full of different characters, GIFS, various objects, 360 images or videos, portals, Google Vision options and more.

When we began using Metaverse, I wasn’t sure if students would be able to navigate the platform (the layout is a storyboard). What I found was that students were able to quickly create their own experiences, which led me to ask them to also facilitate in the class and answer any questions that their classmates had. What I noticed was an emergence of “student leaders,” a team of Metaverse creators, 8th-grade students who were sharing their knowledge and excited to do so.

How to use it? Have students create a quiz, a fun game, or simply tell a story.

Learning together

I don’t have all of the answers, but I enjoy being able to turn to students for help. I enjoy learning with and from them. Empowering students with the opportunity to share their skills brings about positive changes in the classroom, especially in terms of peer relationships and collaboration. Trying out new technologies shows we are interested in bringing new ideas and ways to learn into our classrooms, which is a good model for students.

Want to know more? There are a lot of resources available. I recommend joining in the weekly #ARVRinedu Twitter chat on Wednesday nights at 8 CT/9ET or taking a look at the many resources available on Jaime Donally’s website.

Jaime Donally’s book “Learning Transported” is the resource to go to to learn how immersive technology can be used in education. For anyone looking to get started with bringing augmented, mixed or virtual reality and different learning experiences into the classroom but not sure of where to begin, Jaime provides a well laid out format which provides the reader with the all of the information and resources they need to feel comfortable in using AR and VR in the classroom.
For some readers, knowing the differences between augmented and virtual reality or knowing the different apps available for each of these may not be clear. However, the structure of the Learning Transported book enables the reader to progress from understanding how it is used, and even more importantly “why” it should be used education, to reminders of some things to consider before getting started and then how to have a successful implementation into the classroom.

Beyond just having students as consumers of the content, Jaime offers ways for students to become the creators and design their own stories through augmented and virtual reality experiences.
Jamie is constantly looking for more tools and new ways to bring immersive learning experiences to educators and students, and has done nothing but share her wealth of knowledge and fully invest herself in making sure that educators feel comfortable with using the technology and knowing that she is available to help them in the process.
Learning Transported is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone, as the resources and experiences that she shares within this book definitely have application to other settings besides education.

Before Jaime even dives into the content of the book, she engages the reader with her message of “why” for using AR and VR. She shares the reasons why educators need to understand the possibilities of using immersive technology and the benefits that will happen as a result. She explains how to use the book, and guides the reader on how to navigate each of the chapters, explaining the process involved when starting to implement some of these augmented virtual and mixed reality tools, and encourages the reader to join in with other educators through social media using the #ARVRinEDU chat.

Learning Transported is geared toward anyone looking to try immersive technologies in the classroom and Donally provides all of the resources and many examples, especially through the lesson plans written by Jaime and how they were facilitated in different classrooms.

Another key features of Learning Transported is in Jaime’s message about why educators should use AR, VR and MR in education. The largest benefit is for students being able to engage and explore in the content in a different and more authentic way. It also facilitates building skills of communication and collaboration as well as social-emotional learning, when students connect with their peers and learn more about places and life outside of their own community. Jaime also explains exactly how the use of these tools can meet the ISTE Standards for Students, and encourages the reader to think about how these tools can benefit the students in their own classrooms.

Each chapter provides a wealth of examples and images for reference, explanations of each tool shared and ways that it can be used, and ends with a “Learning Transported” challenge for the reader. Jaime provides clears definitions and more detailed explanations throughout each chapter, and continues to encourage educators to challenge themselves to implement some of these different tools into their classroom and to share their experiences using the #ARVRinedu hashtag.

Some of the best features of the book are the way that Jaime conveys the information, reassuring educators that it is okay to take some chances with trying these in the classroom and involve students in the process. Chapters 5 through 8 include so many different examples of augmented and virtual reality tools, including ideas for creating with the tools, brief descriptions of how the tool works and for using it, as well as including some sample lesson plans that educators can try within their own classrooms.

The last chapter focuses on preparing for the future of mixed reality and Donally reminds us to keep moving forward as these tools are constantly evolving, and having an impact on the learning environment and educational market. In the conclusion, Jaime ends by stating “Teachers will facilitate a class of explorers, developers and designers as they experience, build and present their own immersive technology resources.”
Donally reminds us that “authentic learning experiences and opportunities that have never been accessible in the classroom are now possible with virtual field trips, interactive stories, and tools that can allow students to explore the world, the solar system and beyond.”

The book concludes with an appendix listing all of the apps shared within the book as well as the websites to find the apps and a brief description of what the after does. The standards for students are also included

She encourages the reader to share whatever they create after completing some of the learning transported challenges

Learning Transported makes a topic that can be overwhelming to anyone just starting with augmented and virtual reality, become something that is digestible and helps the reader to build confidence in learning more throughout the book. Donally provides answers to the questions that educators all have to consider when starting to implement these tools, and gathered everything into one well laid out guide for learning.

One of my favorite things about teaching, besides working with my students, is finding new and engaging ways to have students create and show their learning. I remember when I first came across Buncee about two years ago, I really enjoyed creating different presentations and exploring all of the choices that were available. Coming up with new ways to use it in the classroom and even creating a Buncee for Open House, that could later be sent to families who could not attend. I was amazed at the many options to include my own images and even to record messages explaining what students would be doing in our class throughout the year. An added benefit was that by sharing one of the tools that students would be using in class, I hoped that it might become something that other members of the family could use as well, because Buncee works for everything!

Buncee is the one tool that educators and students need for creating a multimedia presentation that includes animations, a drawing feature, emojis, stickers, 360 images and even audio and video embedded within and a lot more. As teachers, we should strive to offer different choices for our students to be able to show what they are learning and to apply their knowledge in a way that provides opportunities for them to be creative, to have fun while creating, and that will engage students more in learning. Buncee has consistently provided a presentation tool that offers all of this and much more for our students and for everyone.

Newest options

There are new features and items added all of the time, but some of the other features that were a game changer for me was being able to set up classes, thousands of new items to choose from in the gallery, and even new ways to share the Buncee creations. We were thrilled when students realized that they could share their work seamlessly by sharing to Google Classroom. In my own classroom, I think it is so important to give students more choices and to provide a tool that offers more than just one format for students to create with. Using Buncee, students can find what they need to be creative, communicate ideas, and think critically about the work they are doing, while having fun during the creation process. It promotes student engagement because they can truly create something that is authentic and meaningful to them. And it enables educators to learn more about the students in the process.

I love creating Buncees to share quotes!

Templates are here!

Finding enough time to get started with new tools is often a challenge, but with the new templates, creation just got even easier. Buncee enables the user to create something wonderful in a very short amount of time. Just this week, Buncee launched hundreds of new templates, divided into categories based on topic or type of media format. With these new templates, it now offers even more options to make creating more personal and fun.

With the new templates, it’s easy to get started creating right away. There are many different categories to choose from including: Awards, bookmarks, business cards, flyers and events, printable worksheets, scrapbook and photo albums, various social media formats and much more. The hard part is deciding which one to go with because there are so many awesome choices, and when you start looking at them, the ideas for how you can use them keep coming. Don’t be surprised if you start creating and then keep on going, there is so much to choose from that can truly enhance the learning and teaching process.

Select a Template and Go!

Once you select a template, it becomes yours to change and to really make it your own. Each template is different and when you select one, you can preview the different backgrounds that will be included within the template. You can easily change the font color and style, change the colors in the background and then add more items into your Buncee. Creating with a template is perfect for anyone who wants to get started quickly, but does not have a lot of time to search different backgrounds and add in text and other items. You can change anything within the template, it simply makes getting started easier and gives you more time to find fun animations, stickers, emojis and more to visually represent your learning. Using the templates is also perfect if you don’t have a lot of time in class, but want students to be able to create something unique and personal to them, giving a boost in confidence by having a great starting point that they can build upon.

Buncee has made it their mission to amplify student learning and provide a tool that enables each student, educator, anyone to visually communicate learning, thoughts, experiences and create something unique. It gives students a ton of options and a safe space to explore and find exactly what they need. Can’t wait to see what they create!

Anchor Podcast

Call me stubborn, but I refuse to quit! T.R.U.E. G.R.I.T. is the foundation to success in learning and life! Exploring the dynamics of a successful classroom and how grit is a vital characteristic for student achievement